Air-accumulator.



No. 639,047. Patented Dec. l2, I399.

H. H. HOUGLAND.

AIR ACCUMULATOR.

(Application filed May 26, 1899 (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet I i w 1 r 7- 11 I 3 6 M H 1 a l 2/ I I 6 i 5 l WITNESSES INVENTOR THE Ncnms PETERS co. PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGTON u. c

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lhtirsn HARVEY H. HOUGLAND, OF NELIGH, NEBRASKA.

AlR ACCU M U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,047, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed May 26, 1899. Serial N0- '7l8,310. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY H. HOUGLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Neligh, in the county of Antelope and State of N ebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Accumulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in air-accumulators, and is designed to, utilize Waste power from a motor for compressing and accumulating air which may be used to operate the motor.

It consists in a mechanism having a powershaft, means for rotating the said power-shaft, fly-wheels carried by the power-shaft,and cornpressing-cylinders mounted upon the spokes of the iiy-wheels and adapted to utilize the centrifugal force of the said fly-wheel for compressing air and accumulating it in the reservoir.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section through an accumulating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a detail side elevation of a portion of the same, illustrating the means of returning the compressing-cylinders to the center of the fly-wheel; and Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail central section through one of the compressingcylinders.

1 in the drawings represents a stationary engine, 2 cylinders belonging to the same, and 3 a main power-shaft.

My improved air-accumulator may be applied to engines of diiferent types. For the sake of convenience in the present application I have shown the same as applied to a stationary upright engine.

The engine 1 is constructed with a large base portion, as 4, preferably formed with an accumulating tank or chamber 5. Pillowblocks 6 arise from the leased and support at theirupperendin suitable bearings the main shaft 3. The shaft 3 preferably extends in both directions from the pillow-blocks and carries at its outer ends the cranks 7. The cranks 7 are connected by the usual pitmanrods 8 and piston-rods 9 with pistons in the cylinders 22. The cylinders are also provided with valve-chests 1O 10, in which valves of any suitable structure may operate, said valves being connected with the shaft 3 by means of eccentrics 11. The cylinders 2 may be operated by any suitable pressure; but of course they are well adapted to be run by the airpressure accumulated in the tank or reservoir 5.

Mounted between the pillowblocks G and rigidly secured to the shaft 3 is a fly-wheel12. The fly-wheel 12 is made of suitable size to accommodate the compressingcylinders 13 13, which are mounted thereon. The compression-cylinders 13 13 are adapted to slide upon the spokes 14c of the fiy-wheel 12. Each of the spokes is also provided with a pistonhead 15, which is rigidly secured thereto and is adapted to have the cylinder 13 move backward and forward upon it. Each of the pistons 15 is provided with suitable packing at its periphery for snugly fitting the cylin ders 13. The cylinders 13 are preferably open at their outer ends and closed at their inner ends, their inner ends being also provided with valves 16 for admitting air into the cylinder, but preventingits escape therefrom. Each ofthe spokes 11 isprovided with a hollow central passage 17, leading from a point near the piston 15 to the hub 18 of the fly-wheel. In the hub 18 the passages 17 lead into other passages 19, formed in the said hub. Upon one side of the hub a ground joint 20 is formed with the pillow-block 6, so that air may not escape at this point even though the fly-wheel is revolving.

In the pillow-block 6 upon one sidev of the engine is a passage-Way 21, which terminates at its upper end upon a surface of the ground joint 20, so as to coincide with the passages 19 as they move when the hub is revolved. The lower end of the passage-way 21 connects with the reservoir 5. This permits of the air which is compressed by the cylinders 13 being forced through the passage-way 21 into the reservoir 5 as the fly-wheel revolves. In

order to carry the cylinders 13 inwardly toward the hub, each of the said cylinders is provided with a friction-wheel 22, which engages a guide or path 23 as the fly-wheel revolves. By examining Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noticed that as the wheel turns the cylinders 13, operating one end of the guide 23, will be gradually forced inwardly toward the hub as the friction-wh eels 22 travel up the said path, and when the said friction-wheels run off of the track the cylinders 13 will be left free to be acted on by the centrifugal force of the wheel, which will tend to force them to the outer ends of the spokes and cause the compression of the airbetween them and the piston 15. When the air has thus been compressed, the passages 19 will coincide with the passage 21 to permit the compressed air to escape into the reservoir 5. It will be seen by glancing at Fig. 3 that the passage-way 17 in the spokes of the wheel opens into the interior of the cylinders 13 by means of an inletopening 24.

It will be observed that by using this device upon the flywheel the centrifugal force which is already in the fly-wheel and would not be otherwise utilized may be employed for storing up air in a compressed form for various purposes, and especially for running the engine. The parts are simple and easy of construction, and yet effective for the purpose desired.

\rVhile I have described my invention as applied to an upright engine, it is apparent that such accumulator can be applied to any fly-wheel upon any kind of an engine without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An accumulator forcompressing air comprising a series of cylinders mounted upon the spokes of the fly-wheel of an engine, pist0n-heads working in the said cylinders, and means connecting the interior of the pistons with a reservoir, the construction being such that the centrifugal power of the wheel may be utilized to compress air, substantially as described.

2. An accumulator for engines comprising cylinders adapted to slide upon the spokes of the engine fly-wheel, piston-heads, secured to the said spokes, a valve for admitting air in the said cylinders, passage ways passing through the said spokes for leading the air to a place where it may be conveyed into a suitable receptacle, the construction being such that the centrifugal force of the Wheel will cause the cylinders to compress air, substantially as described.

3. In an air-accumulator, the combination with an engine, of a fly-wheel having hollow spokes, pistons moving upon the said spokes and adapted to compress air into the hollow portion thereof, a hub having a ground face supported on said spokes, a pillow-block having a corresponding ground face, said pillowblock being also provided with a passage-way leading from the hub of the wheel to an airaccumulating reservoir, the passages in the spokes of the wheel being adapted to coincide at a suitable time with the passage-way in the pillow-block whereby the air compressed by the cylinder may be forced into the said reservoir, substantially as described.

4. In an air-accumulator, the combination with a motor, of a flywheel operated thereby, said fly-wheel having hollow spokes, pistons moving upon the said fly-wheel in one direction for compressing air into the spokes, a guide adapted to engage friction-rollers on the cylinders for carrying them toward the hub of the wheel, and means for conveying air from the spokes into a suitable receptacle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I- hereunto affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY I-I. HOUGLAND.

Witnesses:

I. A. How, J. E. ENFIELD. 

